48, Frederick Street

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10285 29-APR-04

FREDERICK STREET 48

GV II

Manufactory. c. 1870 with minor late C20 alterations. Red brick with blue brick decoration and painted dressings. Slated roof with central, off-ridge brick stack. PLAN: Double-pile frontage range with narrow parallel rear ranges. Venetian Gothic Style. EXTERIOR: Near-symmetrical street frontage of 2 storeys above a basement. 6 bays, with doorways to bays 1 and 6, that to bay 1 the main entrance to the left with arch-headed overlight above the door. Wide goods doorway to right end bay with steep pointed arched head. 4 basement lights with shallow segmental arched heads and 2 over 2 pane sashes and serpentine blue brick band above window heads. Ground floor windows with 2 over 2 pane sash frames between narrow brick piers, with continuous painted cill and linked, painted brick arched heads including that of main entrance. First floor windows with painted cill band above blue brick band with cogged brick below window openings. Heads to windows detailed as those below, above 2 over 2 pane sashes. Deep bracketed eaves cornice with acanthus leaf decoration between the brackets. Storeyed warehouse and workshop ranges to rear. HISTORY: The site is shown on the Piggot- Smith map of 1855-61 as part of the garden of a large detached house to the north. The existing building is shown on the 1886 O.S.map, and the address is recorded in Kelly's Directory for 1886 as being occupied by jewellers and watch manufacturers. Forms a group with No. 23 Frederick Street (q.v.) and No. 47 Frederick Street (q.v.) A small purpose-built manufactory of c.1870 designed for multiple occupancy, well- preserved externally with detailing characteristic of the distinctive architecture of a specialist industrial quarter of Birmingham now recognised as being of international significance.